You Cannot be a Democrat and be a Catholic

lynnfiat · Sep 21, 2020

Mario said: ↑

I ask your prayers, my friends. One of my annual commitments as deacon is to submit a paper on a situation that speaks to the concerns of my ministry. Actually, in post #2 above, Fr. James speaks to a concern of the whole Church. Discernment likewise comes to the fore when I minister to patients in the hospital and/or nursing home; though the ones I visit may be listed as Catholic, I have no freedom to indiscriminately offer the Blessed Sacrament without discernment. For instance, my experience shows that about half of such patients have either left the Holy Church, or haven't lived out the Faith for many years. Do I give such individuals the Blessed Sacrament? Not in good conscience.

Similarly, Fr. James addresses what our bishops have stated this year is the preeminent issue of this election: abortion. I do want to say that this issue doesn't always play out in local town elections, but certainly on a State and National level, virtually all Democratic contenders back abortion. Therefore, since one's position on abortion is a matter of life or death for their spiritual souls as well as each baby's life, it is impossible to vote Democrat. Even Thomas Jefferson who actually was a Deist, in the Declaration of Independence, constructed a list of inalienable rights in correct order: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. LIFE first!

And so, in a convocation of deacons which I attended yesterday, the speaker referred to a certain priest, whose youtube clip stated no faithful Catholic can vote Democrat; the speaker also spoke of, without mentioning a name, a bishop who endorsed the priest. The speaker concluded that such a stand violated the Church's teaching on "freedom of conscience."

And so I am brought back to a concern mentioned on MOG: a Council whose documents, or at least the interpretation thereof, muddied the waters of what freedom of conscience truly involves. On this I shall write and since my conviction is slightly elevated, I will probably be able to pull this together in about two weeks. I believe such a paper will rock the boat, so I ask for your prayers. Include Pope Saint John Paul II in your intercessions for me. He wrote a marvelous encyclical which speaks in part to this very issue: Dominum Et Vivificantem (On the Holy Spirit in the Life of the Church and the World), 1986. Also, please say a pray for the marvelous Melkite priest who instructed us on this encyclical when my brother deacons and I were in training. Fr. Saba is very sick with cancer!

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.
Click to expand...

“Rock the boat”! I will be praying for you.

Mario · Oct 26, 2020

Mario said: ↑

...And so, in a convocation of deacons which I attended yesterday, the speaker referred to a certain priest, whose youtube clip stated no faithful Catholic can vote Democrat; the speaker also spoke of, without mentioning a name, a bishop who endorsed the priest. The speaker concluded that such a stand violated the Church's teaching on "freedom of conscience."

And so I am brought back to a concern mentioned on MOG: a Council whose documents, or at least the interpretation thereof, muddied the waters of what freedom of conscience truly involves. On this I shall write and since my conviction is slightly elevated, I will probably be able to pull this together in about two weeks. I believe such a paper will rock the boat, so I ask for your prayers. Include Pope Saint John Paul II in your intercessions for me. He wrote a marvelous encyclical which speaks in part to this very issue: Dominum Et Vivificantem (On the Holy Spirit in the Life of the Church and the World), 1986. Also, please say a pray for the marvelous Melkite priest who instructed us on this encyclical when my brother deacons and I were in training. Fr. Saba is very sick with cancer!

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.
Click to expand...

I thank you all for your prayers. I just emailed the paper mentioned above to the Permanent Diaconate Office. It took a little longer than I thought, but it is done and I'm pleased with it. For all I know it will simply be filed away. The Deacon heading the Office is a good man, Robert Fangio. Dc. Bob was one of the instructors for my class of 2018, specifically in homiletics. He is the one who will initially decide if there is a need to respond.

Safe in the Refuge of the Immaculate Heart!

HeavenlyHosts · Oct 26, 2020

Mario said: ↑

I thank you all for your prayers. I just emailed the paper mentioned above to the Permanent Diaconate Office. It took a little longer than I thought, but it is done and I'm pleased with it. For all I know it will simply be filed away. The Deacon heading the Office is a good man, Robert Fangio. Dc. Bob was one of the instructors for my class of 2018, specifically in homiletics. He is the one who will initially decide if there is a need to respond.

Safe in the Refuge of the Immaculate Heart!
Click to expand...

May you feel lighthearted for quite awhile after these labors.

Mario · Oct 26, 2020

HeavenlyHosts said: ↑

May you feel lighthearted for quite awhile after these labors.
Click to expand...

Yes, I appreciate your thoughts. At the beginning I had a definite outline for the paper, but that changed somewhat over the weeks. This was especially so when I read through the USA's episcopal Voter Guide for 2020. What will be, will be!

Lord have mercy on the USA, it's civil servants and leaders, as well as the Catholic bishops who govern us in the Faith!

Safe in the Barque of Peter!

Log in or Sign up

You Cannot be a Democrat and be a Catholic

lynnfiat Fiat Voluntas Tua

Mario Powers

HeavenlyHosts Powers

Mario Powers

Share This Page